Dr. Trey Straussberger answered some questions to explain how he can help students accomplish their college dreams.
Honors honor: Recent alum Emily Patton earns national recognition
Emily Patton, a May 2024 graduate and Brock Scholar who earned bachelor’s degrees in environmental science and humanities: international studies, has been selected as one of four 2024 Portz Scholars—one of the most prestigious honors for undergraduate students in honors programs across the country.
Language learning and cultural exchange: Two UTC students receive national scholarships
A pair of UTC students have created paths to learning new languages after landing national competitive scholarships. Lauren Graves, a senior English major and Brock Scholar in the UTC Honors College, will spend about a year in Japan as part of the Japanese Exchange and Teaching (JET) program, which brings university graduates to Japan as assistant language teachers. Vinny Nguyen, a sophomore political science and public service major, is the recipient of the CLS Spark scholarship. He will spend eight weeks in an online course learning Mandarin Chinese.
Belgian bound: A Gilman Scholar’s adventure abroad
This semester, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga junior Jayda Fowler—a double major in international studies and French—is studying in Brussels, Belgium, thanks to the Gilman Scholarship.
Capstone achievement: UTC’s Emma Sprayberry lands Fulbright Scholarship
One of the most highly decorated students in recent UTC history has received another prestigious award before her time as an undergraduate comes to a close. Senior Emma Sprayberry, an Innovations in Honors student in the UTC Honors College majoring in both humanities: international studies (with an emphasis on Asian studies) and Spanish, along with a minor in anthropology, has been awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to Taiwan for the 2024-2025 academic year.
Global citizen: UTC’s Emma Roy awarded Boren Scholarship
Emma Roy, currently completing her junior year at UTC, has been selected for the prestigious David L. Boren Scholarship, an initiative of the Defense Language and National Security Education Office, which is part of the U.S. Department of Defense. Beginning in mid-September, she will spend 25 weeks—the equivalent of an academic year—at National Taiwan University as part of the International Chinese Language Program.
Perfect chemistry: Two UTC young alums land research fellowships
Recent graduates Christine Rukeyser, an Innovation in Honors student in the UTC Honors College who received a bachelor’s degree in chemistry in December 2023, and Bre-Anna Willis, recipient of a bachelor’s degree in chemistry in December 2022, have been selected for the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program—a highly competitive program that supports outstanding graduate students in STEM fields.
From Tennessee to the world: A UTC student’s journey of discovery through study abroad
Emma Sprayberry’s senior year is filled with traveling and perfecting her resume. While at UTC, Sprayberry has studied in Korea, Germany, Canada, and Spain and is Panama-bound for a study-abroad opportunity in March. How has she managed all the traveling? Sprayberry utilized study abroad resources available at the Center of Global Education (CGE) and applied for programs aligned with her academic and professional aspirations.
Dr. Trey Straussberger named director of UTC Office of National Scholarships
Dr. John “Trey” Straussberger has been selected as director of the Office of National Scholarships at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.
UTC duo land significant summer fellowships
Two UTC juniors, Emma Sprayberry and Jannat Saeed, have been awarded Public Policy and International Affairs (PPIA) Junior Summer Institute (JSI) fellowships, a rigorous academic graduate-level preparation program for undergraduate juniors committed to public service careers.